Elena is after a car that might just be better at the on/off-road game than her Outback.

What rough-road car should I buy?

Elena is after a car that might just be better at the on/off-road game than her Outback.

What rough-road car should I buy?

30 Sep 2015Cameron McGavin

The dilemma

Elena has a regular 100km-plus commute that mixes rough, potholed unsealed roads and highway driving. She also has a couple of steep, slippery spots on her property. She drives a Subaru Outback diesel – she's had three now and loves their finish, luxury, handling, safety and all-road nous – but it does struggle a little with the challenges of her route.

She needs a new car and the new Outback is on her shortlist but she wonders if something else might balance her on/off-road needs a little better.

The budget

About $50,000

The shortlist

Elena's Outback alternatives include everything from its Forester sibling to a Toyota Prado LandCruiser.

Jumping into a Forester, though, isn't going to deliver a fundamental shift in on/off-road ability from her Outback.

The Prado, contrastingly, does offer some tangible benefits for the rougher part of her commute. But those advances are balanced by on-road and other inferiorities in some areas that could startle a habitual Outback owner.

So we might throw in another option that occupies a potentially sweet middle ground between these extremes.

Jeep Cherokee Limited 4x4 diesel, from $49,000.

This Jeep is a little more suited to the rough stuff than the Outback with its cushioned ride, low-range gearing and superior ground clearance (221.9mm versus 213mm). It has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, heaps of kit (sat-nav, leather, heated seats, power tailgate, etc) and its 2.0-litre diesel drivetrain offers similar performance/economy credentials.

Unlike a Prado, it's roughly the same size as the Subaru. So you get its off-road advantages without having to deal with a lumbering beast.

On the other hand, the Cherokee's rough/off-road abilities are ultimately no match for a Prado's and it's not as sweet on tarmac as the Subie.

Its cabin is versatile and user-friendly but lacks the Outback's sprawling space and Jeep's quality record isn't spotless.

Subaru Outback 2.0D Premium, from $41,490

All the things Elena likes about her Outback – its confident road manners, quality cabin vibe, its five-star ANCAP safety, its flexible and economical diesel drivetrain – are enhanced in the current fourth-gen model.

Premium models drip with toys (everything the Jeep gets, plus keyless entry/start and LED headlights) and the cabin is classy and spacious.

Subaru's three-year/75,000km capped-price servicing regime isn't an industry benchmark but is this group's best ownership deal. Its also has six-monthly/12,500km service intervals versus six-monthly/10,000km for the Jeep and Toyota.

But Elena will have to live with the same sort of rough/off-road limitations she's looking to escape.

2009-15 Toyota LandCruiser Prado diesel, from $27,100*

This Toyota will feel underpowered, agricultural and ponderous after an Outback, and is much harder to handle in urban/parking scenarios.

It's the only car here that would need to be bought used at this budget, and the models with the kit to kick it in this company (VX, Kakadu) will have more years/km behind them than base GX and second-tier GXLs.

But the Toyota's cabin wins the battle here for space, seats (seven) and is barely disturbed by the surfaces that shake many cars to pieces.

It's capable of beating almost any off-road obstacle and its towing capacity is this group's best (2500kg).

It has a five-star ANCAP safety rating and golden reputation for quality and dependability, though you'll need one of those newer GXs or GXLs to tap into Toyota's three-year/60,000km capped-price servicing regime.

Drive recommends

The Jeep and Toyota have some tantalising advantages over the Subaru but also significant downsides.

That means it's the eminently rounded Outback that takes the points victory, even if – as Elena has discovered – its sugary-sweet sweet spot doesn't always align with every scenario.

The other cars are worth considering but only if she can rationalise their negatives. In the case of the Cherokee, it's this group's least enticing quality and ownership credentials, which is a pity because its on/off-road balance is probably a bit better aligned to her needs than the Subaru's.

In the case of Prado, there are value, equipment and on-road deficiencies that counter its brilliance in the rough stuff.

* Values are estimates provided by Glass's Guide based on an example averaging up to 20,000km per annum and in a well-maintained condition relevant to its age.